


The Ghosts Won't Matter

by Ruunkur



Series: Drunk on You [3]
Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Alternate Ending: #1 for High on Sin, Bad end, Choose your own ending?, M/M, Now we've come full circle, Won't make sense without reading High on Sin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 08:15:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18149360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: It all comes crashing down.The little world they built around themselves. The short steps they have to take for themselves.





	The Ghosts Won't Matter

Ken felt like he was struggling against a wall as he opened his eyes. When he opened them fully, he was in his apartment.

"You nearly tore yourself apart."

He turned his head when he heard Hackmon's voice, frowning and squinting through the darkness. When he tried to sit up, he felt a paw on his chest.

"You are healing at an incredible rate. You will be okay, in a few days. I took the time to call you out of work, ill. Now, we must speak, Ichijouji."

He let his head fall on his pillows, feeling Hackmon move next to him. Judging by the space of the warm spot on his stomach, he had been sitting there for quite a while.

"Speak, then."

Hackmon nodded, sitting up straight and staring at Ken, despite how the other was laying.

"Motomiya Daisuke is dead."

The news caused Ken's blood to go ice.

"Dead?"

Hackmon nodded. "The form you two took, upon jogressing, was not a stable jogress. It is a form known as Dinobeemon. I suppose you found out things about each other that neither of you ever wished to know. You would have been suited for jogress with the bearer of Miracles, were it not for your... common interest in the Ishida boy."

Ken let out a snort. "He started sleeping with Takeru because of his brother."

With each sentence he spoke, Ken felt better. He could hone into the anger, use it against whatever hd happened. He itched to call Takeru, to see how he was fairing. But, from how dark it was in the room, Ken was certain that it was just past midnight.

"Whatever the reasons, it caused unrest. You nearly died yourself."

"And why didn't I?" Ken demanded.

Hackmon shifted, his eyes gleaming. "There is still things you must do for Homeostasis. You are their link, for as long as the scion of Light remains clouded to them, they must express themselves elsewhere. It is an unfair burden to place upon you. As it was an unfair burden of the Harmonious Ones to force the child of Light to shoot you."

"Great, they're always going to be trying to mess with me, aren't they?" Ken closed his eyes, relaxing on the bed. He felt frustrated, upon hearing Hackmon's words.

"They seek to destroy Homeostasis and you have allied yourself with them. Of course they would also seek to destroy the one who knows."

Ken jolted upright, ignoring the screaming pain that scampered across his muscles. "Takeru knows."

Hackmon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Takeru, Hope, he knows. I've told him everything. He's in danger, Hackmon!" Ken felt the digimon shift, sitting on his chest and forcing him to lay back down once more.

"I will do what I can for the Scion of Hope. Perhaps they have not caught on, not yet."

_Ken, you need to rest._

Ken bit down on his lip when he heard Stingmon's reproach, shaking his head. "You have to help Takeru. I will denounce Homeostasis as well, if you do not."

Hackmon heaved a sigh, bowing his head. "I will do what I can, but it will be hard. I make no promises, Ichijouji."

Ken ground his teeth, watching as Hackmon disappeared. He let his head fall back onto the pillow, accepting the dreamless sleep that was tugging at the edges of his conscious.

~*~*~*~

"Takeru, there you are!"

Takeru turned when he heard Hikari's voice, his gaze distant. He had been leaning against the balcony, his wings spread to catch the breeze.

When Baihumon had appeared at the end of the battle, he had thought they would be saved, but the digimon had merely regarded the dead body of Daisuke. His eyes were distant and he had said nothing about his sacrifice, only commented that there was still work to be done.

Work that no one had the ability to stomach.

"What do you want, Yagami?"

The need to keep everyone at arm’s length was strong and he turned to face out the balcony again, wondering if Ken ever stood there, wondering what it would be like to fly without worrying about returning to the castle.

"How long have you and Ken been..." she trailed off, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as she stood next to him.

"What do you mean?" His voice was monotone, the one that had forced his brother to take a step back and tell him that, if he needed to talk, he would be there.

Daisuke. Dead.

Ken. Missing.

He wanted nothing more than to launch himself over the edge and fly, far away, to try and locate Ken. But, he was trapped. As trapped by sleep as he was by sleepless nights. He couldn't leave, not yet.

"I saw..." Hikari hesitated, "when the Harmonious Ones told me to shoot them, I saw both of their lives. And... a lot of you, in both of them. You betrayed us, a long time ago, didn't you?"

Takeru turned, looking at Hikari. "I did what I had to, Hikari." He heard the tapping of claws on the ground and he froze, any further words to defend or explain himself stuck in his throat.

"We knew that there was someone who betrayed us." Baihumon sounded like he rumbled the words, his voice low as his eyes flashed. "What a terrible thing, however to kill a friend who found out."

"I didn't _kill_ anyone!" Takeru snapped. His gaze slid to Hikari, watching as she took a step towards Baihumon, bafflement clear.

"Baihumon-"

Takeru stared in horror as the cat lifted his paw. The movement was slow, precise, and he lashed out, catching Hikari on the side of the head. The sound of bone breaking made Takeru scream, rage filling him. And, as Baihumon pulled back, Takeru was there, kneeling next to Hikari, hands trembling.

"You-" Takeru choked on his words as Baihumon raised his voice.

"You have killed your own friend, Takeru! Blood has stained your hands, and you will be hunted."

Takeru heard several pairs of feet running, eyes glazed over as he saw the blood spilling. It was Taichi's footsteps that made him move, jerking himself away and over the balcony banister.

Moving faster, throwing himself forward. Precious minutes sliding by as he found a hole, Angemon already there. The sensation of being woken up, though he was still present.

And turning to the one place he could find refuge, even as Angemon got him safely from Yamato and Taichi's house in the human world.

~*~*~*~

Ken woke to someone in his apartment, and he frowned. It was only when he pushed himself out of bed did he realize he was still in the digital world. Looking down, then up, he saw Takeru standing there, framed by the door.

"You look..."

Ken felt at a loss for words as takeru stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. It was a simple matter, for him to straddle Ken and kiss him.

"You're alive." Takeru was breathless as he pulled away,breaking the kiss and Ken nodded.

"My dear, whatever happened to you?" Ken whispered, lifting a hand and touching Takeru's cheek. His question was ignored as Takeru pressed another kiss to his lips. Fingers tangled in his hair and Ken groaned.

He was still tired and there was pain, where there shouldn't have been, but it felt good to have Takeru there, with him.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, until he was laying on the bed, his hand drifting over Takeru's shoulder. They had paused only to open the windows, letting in the outside air to cool themselves off.

Autumn was near, and Ken was always pleased with autumn in the digital world. The colors would be turning and, after winter, the digital world would begin to fully repair itself.

Ken lets out a slow breath, fingers trailing over Takeru's upper back and shaking his head. It had only been yesterday, when they had faced down Dagomon. The destruction of the digimon still unsettled Ken, the taste of death still heavy on his tongue. He frowned, drawing in a breath.

"We should stop."

His fingers lingered on one of the many bite marks scattered over Takeru. The other drew in a breath and shuddered.

"They'll wonder where I went," Takeru mumbled. He still hadn't given Ken the reason for his appearance. Nor the reason why Stingmon was hosting Angemon in his apartment.

The two spirits were comfortable in each other’s presence, but neither would divulge why the other wasn’t, in their case, there.

"I wonder why you're here."

"Maybe you should give up on the war, Ichijouji."

Ken laughed, pulling his hand away from Takeru's back. He heard him stifle a grumble of complaint, Takeru pushing himself up. Unpinned blond hair spilled over his face and Ken could see a bruise starting to form above his collar bone.

"I still want my payment in blood, Ishida."

Takeru arched an eyebrow, brushing hair out of his face. There were scars that litter his hands, scars that Ken had seen put there and had put there himself. He closed the space between them, pressing his hand to Takeru's collar bone with a smile, brushing a finger tip over the bruise before moving to kiss him.

"Ken."

The name was a warning and Ken rolled his eyes, pulling away and catching Takeru's hand. "You would look so pretty, don't you think, with a collar around your neck. I could make one in silver, to accent the gold you wear." Ken wondered, as the words left his mouth, if Hackmon had slipped him some pain killer.

"And follow you down to hell?"

Ken laughed, reaching out and curling his fingers into Takeru's hair. "How about black?"

"They think I killed Hikari."

“She’s… dead?” The first that Ken had heard about it.

“Baihumon killed her. Framed me. I… I didn’t know what to do…”

“So you came here.”

Takeru nodded. “They think I _killed_ her, Ken.”

Ken let out a low growl at those words, his anger flaring. "They can have their holy beasts and their willing followers. I will not let them hurt you. You could be mine, you could be with me, Takeru."

He felt himself slipping out of it, time seeming to stand still. He was straddling Takeru now, the bed larger than the one in his apartment, but missing the finer silk sheets Ken had at home.

"I could fix your wings with black feathers and gold, and you would look so beautiful." Ken splayed his hands out on Takeru's chest as he spoke, dipping down to kiss him. "How much longer before they come looking for you?"

Takeru grunted, his response cut off as Ken leaned down, kissing him hard. They were in Ken's home base, deep in the middle of his territory. And Takeru had tossed his communicator far before he had entered Ken's territory.

"Ken-"

He kissed Takeru again, hearing the man moan into his mouth. His fingers moved, brushing strands of hair from Takeru's face and he deepened the kiss, pressing his knee to Takeru's groin.

"Stay with me." It was whispered as Ken broke off the kiss.

Takeru stared at him, eyes glazed over.

The war that Ken had privately waged since school, the one where he had brought to public after the end of it. The one that had killed two of Takeru's friends in one night.

The war that Ken promised to keep in their dreams. No reason to bleed dream with the real.

It wouldn't do to let lose their armies in the human world, where there was no proper defenses. He knew how to, anyway, while the others didn’t know anything about it.

"Takeru," Ken whispered, pressing his knee higher, "Takeru, stay with me."

The man squirmed, his eyes flashing open. His pupils were dilated, his breathing heavy. Gold eyes locked onto dark ones, Takeru heaving a small gasp of air as Ken leaned down, biting his neck.

"Ken-" Takeru began, his voice breaking into a moan as Ken trailed the kisses downwards, leaving bite marks down the path. He let go of Takeru's hair, his hands resting on the other's shoulders. He felt Takeru's hands come up, bracing against his own shoulders.

It was easy, to lose themselves in the process again. Easy to make Takeru moan, his fingers moving, clutching and threading their way into Ken's hair. Easy to forget, just for one more day, that Daisuke and Hikari were dead.

Both at the hands of the Harmonious Ones.

Easy, to lay there in the waning light, Ken's hand on Takeru's head, stroking his hair. While Takeru lay with his head on Ken's chest, eyes closed and humming. Both of them were tired, still weighed down by the fight with Dagomon.

"Join me," Ken whispered as the moon began to rise.

Ken, on his own, fighting for things that the others would never understand. Takeru, facing him down, fighting for the light that never made sense.

"Ken..." Takeru breathed, closing his eyes. There was pain in his voice and Ken shifted, drawing Takeru's chin up to face him. They locked eyes, Ken reading what he needed to from the gaze. His finger traces Takeru's cheekbone, resting just below his eye.

He lifts his other hand, brings it to Takeru's other eye, his thumbs pressing against the bones, sliding upwards to press against the bottom of his eyelids. He tilts his head, pressing into the touch.

Ken grimaced, moving his thumbs upwards.

It was easy, afterwards, to wrap the cloth around Takeru's eyes, hiding the back of it with his hair, He lifted his hands, cleaned afterwards to Takeru's cheek, turning the man's head towards him before kissing his lips, his forehead, his empty eye sockets.

"You'll so beautiful in black and gold, my love."

He cradled Takeru's head, his hands placed on his cheeks, kissing him. The angel moaned, his hands curling into the sheets.

Ken smiled then, his eyes glinting. He felt elated, to have the man with him. His beautiful, blind angel. There would be no more hiding, no more looking over his shoulder.

They would be able to help each other when they needed it.

~*~*~*~

"Ken."

Ken opened his eyes, turning his head to the voice. He was exhausted, and the pain was back in full force. When he turned, he saw Takeru.

"What happened?" Ken asked, the dreams too muddied for him to make out clearly. The effects of the painkillers or alcohol.

"Baihumon killed Hikari." Takeru sat on the bed, placing his head in his hands. ken moved, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

"They pinned it on you."

Takeru nodded. "Daisuke dead, Hikari dead... who's going to be next?"

Ken shook his head, eyes blank. "We just have to keep moving forward."

"I'll be with you."

Ken nodded, closing his eyes and sinking back into bed. He didn't complain when Takeru laid down next to him, curling up and resting his head on Ken's chest.

"Are you aware of how painful it is to get your eyes gouged out?"

Ken glanced at him, letting out a huff. "Worry, it was..." What had he done? Ken frowned, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said again.

Takeru shook his head, picking it up from his chest just barely. "We're going down the road to hell, aren't we?" he murmured.

"Yes, we are."

~*~*~*~

It was quiet as Taichi stared at his sister, his hands curling into fists. He had gotten the call that morning, only to find that Takeru had left at some point that night, leaving behind anything they could use to track him.

It stung when his fist made contact with the frame.

"Taichi."

He turned when Yamato spoke, the other man's voice monotone. "I'm going to kill him."

"Taichi, it isn't going to help now. Have you called your mother?" Yamato asked, stepping forward.

"No."

"Miyako?"

"No."

"Let's.. make some calls before we find Takeru." Yamato suggested.

Taichi turned, his eyes burning. "I'm not going to go easy on him because he's your brother."

"I never said anything about going easy on him." Yamato took a step back, holding his hands up. "We've been dealt a low blow. We lost both Daisuke and Hikari in the same night. We..."

Taichi cracked first, feeling the tears build in his eyes as Yamato talked. They gathered themselves together as others drifted in, each with their own look of horror on their faces.

They were down three people, if they wanted to count Takeru. They would never recover, not in a way that would make it worth continue living.

~*~*~*~

It was two months before either Takeru or Ken resurfaced.

In their absence, their tierrity had grown, double what it had been when Ken was working on his own. They worked in silence, but found each other necessary when it grew too much.

It was on one of these eves that Ken came to Takeru. His face was a mask, his eyes hard.

Takeru turned, hearing his footsteps before he should have. Since his blinding in the digital world -and they both were thankful Takeru hadn't gone blind in their reality, as well- his hearing had developed at an astonishing rate.

He was as beautiful a fighter as he had always been. Now, Ken took a moment to run his fingers through Takeru's wings. Takeru spread them further, turning his head to look at Ken.

"They're on the move."

Ken frowned, pulling his hand away from Takeru's wing. "Who is coming?"

"The tiger."

The word was a cold curse between the two and Ken narrowed his eyes.

"It's been a year."

Ken shuddered, closing his eyes and leaning forward. He pressed his forehead between Takeru's shoulder blades, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"They have not killed any of the others."

Takeru grimaced, letting out a sigh. He didn't move away from Ken, despite the words that he had said.

"They want to kill us."

The pair had moved since Hikari had died. Neither wanted to be close to where the others might find them. Their life was a balance, one where, if they moved too far one way, they would fall. Though they were there to catch each other.

"They will all come."

Takeru let out a sigh as Ken withdrew from him. They were in the middle of his territory, the place where they had made home. There was a stillness in the air and Ken wanted to retreat.

"How will we handle the others?"

Ken frowned at Takeru's question, his gaze darting to him. "We can incapacitate them. I don't want to hurt them. I only want to get at Baihumon."

That had always been the goal. His entire world rested on getting revenge, on making it so that he could rest easy at night. Now, there would never be any peace, and there would be no attempt at it for as long as Baihumon stalked both of them.

Takeru nodded, closing his eyes.

It was those words that fueled them, as they went through the battle. Each of them working with the other. It was the ease that Ken knew, the ease of fighting alongside another with the same goal.

As he struck the blow that shattered the last of Baihumon's defenses, he felt the blow that brought him down.

Seeing the ashes of the great Harmonious One was enough for Ken, even as he was dragged away.

It was what saw him through the torture, the questions.

The endless questions, until he didn't know who he was anymore.

To know that his brother's killer was dead, made him sleep better at night.

His worry for Takeru was tucked deep away, as the days flowed into one another, his only escape being the waking world, where he could comfort and hold Takeru. Each searching their own way to block the dreams, to sever the part of themselves from the dreaming world.

Knowing they would wake back up in the depths of hell made it harder to sleep at night, but it was a need they could not resist.

And they bore it, knowing that the killer was long gone.

~*~*~*~

"Ichijouji Ken."

The voice resonates in Ken's skull, vibrating until he feels the urge to puke.

The bonds around his wrist have long since cut off circulation. And, when he brought his head up, everything protests. His hair is dirty, unwashed.

He feels the need to scrub for weeks. And, just out of the corner of his eye, he could see Takeru. His blond haired angel, ragged gouges where wins used to hang. He's sprawled on his stomach, eyes clouded, but he had twitched when Ken's name was spoken.

"Do you regret what you have done to the digital world?"

"My only regret-" Ken's voice cracked and he licked his lips, wishing for even the smallest bit of water, "was not getting to kill you, too."

There was nothing to be given, no wishes to be made, in that prison. Anything said would be used against them, if they wanted it. They had been used against each other, though it hadn’t gotten very far.

Taichi was missing a couple of fingers, from getting too close to Ken.

The giant beast was slow moving, one of its heads turning to look at Ken, while the other looked at Takeru.

"You have strayed from the path that we chose."

Ken growled, low in his throat.

Pain.

He had lived the last two however long it had been in pain.

Betrayed.

Betrayed by who exactly, Ken was uncertain.

Baihumon, bleeding in the dirt, fragmenting into data. Qinglongmon, down for the count. Zhuqiaomon and Xuanwumon too far away to help.

Ken tried to yank his hands out of the bonds, feeling the electricity run through him.

His court, put to death while Ken watched.

The taste of bile was present, ever present, in the back of his throat and he wanted to retch.

"Your trial begins now."

Ken felt himself be lifted up and, when he tried to look to the side, a cloth bag was placed over his head.

He was dragged along long hallways, up stairs, and back down. When they stopped, it was only so doors could be open and closed.

It was too much for ken to follow, to try and decipher where he was. It was only when he was set down in a chair, his hands tied behind him, that the cloth bag was taken off and he could breathe again.

The round chamber hall greeted him, two rows that were empty where to his left, the Harmonious Beasts, what was left of them, to his right. When he turned, he saw Takeru sitting next to him. His face pale, eyes dull.

Ken felt his heart ache.

_Ken...?_

He frowned when he heard Motomiya's voice. Despite how incessant Ken was, how annoying he found Daisuke, he felt a small well of pleasure in hearing the spirit speak once more.

_Hello Motomiya, did you miss me?_

In his mind, he could smirk, but now, it was too painful. There were scars, wounds, and he was certain that his mouth would have been sewn shut, if the Xiawumon had figured out how to do just that.

_What the hell... happened to you?_

Ken stared straight ahead, listening to the digimon filter into the chambers. He saw a small flash, Hackmon appearing in the shadows, his face a grimace.

_The Harmonious Ones, my dear Motomiya. Your precious Harmonious Ones._

Silence, then a frustrated sigh.

When Ken looked up, he realized the sigh came from Zhuqiaomon.

"They are late."

When the bird digimon spoke, the doors behind Ken and Takeru opened once more. It was quiet before human footsteps entered and, as they filtered into the rows, Ken saw the remaining warriors. Tired, terrified, and only seven of them sitting on the benches.

Eight out of fourteen total.

"We have gathered today to pass judgement on the sins committed by Ichijouji Ken and his accomplice, Ishida Takeru for crimes against the Harmonious Ones. Ichijouji, how do you plead?"

There was little fanfare, Ken was well aware. He stared the bird down, feeling the spark of anger flare in his chest.

"For crimes against you?" he whispered, voice cracking. "Not fucking guilty. I fight for Homeostasis."

He saw Hackmon twitch, the dog digimon shaking his head. Ken focused his attention back on the three remaining Harmonious Ones, realizing that they didn't know Hackmon was there. Qinglongmon stayed silent, keeping his own council as he always did. It was only the other two that wanted their revenge for what had happened.

"You are sentenced to death.'

Ken bore his teeth at the digimon, feeling the eyes on him. He didn't stop looking as Xiawumon swung his head to Takeru.

"How do you plead, Ishida?"

Takeru lifted his head, his head turning towards the voice. "Not guilty."

Ken felt his heart skip a beat, felt the anger from Daisuke. Anger, for once, not directed at him. Anger directed purely at the Harmonious Ones. And at the chosen that left them to rot, even if they believed that Takeru had killed Hikari.

Anger Ken was _proud_ of.

He had endured much, since being brought into the dungeons of the Harmonious Ones. He could bare the scars for the years to come.

Never, as he had promised, did the war spill into the human world and he swallowed, hard. Hackmon stood, silent, as the Leomon that served as executioner drew his blade. A digimon that was for justice.

Ken felt the laughter bubbling up through him, his eyes flashing. "It'll never be over."

The words were said before the blade was run through his heart, sending him into the darkness.

The sweet, blissful darkness that only lasted a moment before he was screaming in pain. Pain, he could imagine, that would not have been there, if there weren't another voice.

One soothing, pressure on the wound. The wounds that he carried from dream to reality. Wounds that healed quicker, but left scars.

"Oh gods, that is a lot of blood."

_Shit, shit, Ken? Hey, don't leave us, not yet. You can't-_

The dreams that were imposed over reality, Daisuke leaning over him, Jou saying something he couldn't catch. A second pair of hands, being lifted.

The white hospital ceilings. White, white, white and so much red.

Too much blood.

Too...

Much...


End file.
